The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-29
OPPOSED TO THE BILL.

Another Side of the Coast Land Act
Shown Up-What 1t Might Lead To.
Editor Morning News.: The bill pub
lished in your issue of Sunday last, entitled
"An act to define the rights of the owners
of lands ON islands on the coast of Georgia,
and on tide water streams flowing into the
interior from such coast, etc, and intro
duced in the Senate few days ago, is evil
IDENTIFY measure inspired by some selfish
sea island land owner, who is not satisfied
with the riparian rights which the laws of
the State now give him, but who desires
law which will enable him and others of
like possessions to appropriate all the natu-
raj oyster grounds on the coast of Georgia
for their own exclusive use and benefit. The
bill has not been introduced by any mem
Der from the seaboard, but it has been
flanked around them under the generalship
of some Scion from another part of the
State with the evident purpose of sneaking
it through the Legislature before the people
whose interests and livelihood it seeks to
destroy could become aware of it, This
bill would invest every man who owns
scrap Of land on sea island Gf not bigger
than q saddle cloth with absolute despotic
dominion over all the oyster beds and I'M
navigable tide water streams in Georgia,
and invests him furthermore with power to
the land owner exclusive right to extend his
ownership to beds in navigable streams 100
feet below low water mark, thus interdict-
ing every person else from getting oysters
at all except from a very few places on
our coast. 1t also creates most
extraordinary rule by which the exclusive
right to the use and benefit to the States and
neighboring lands may be acquired. All
that is necessary to enable him to acquire
iC Sin rlIx a nf of f.ic
duration. He can then gobble up all these
valuable rights and franchises, and enjoy
them absolutely and perpetually. 1t also
invests every citizen of the State with con-
stabulary power to arrest, without warrant
any person who should dare venture
within these streams or invade these
grounds or land on the shores of the Lord of
the manor adjacent, and hold such person
in durance until he can be navigated over
to the mainland and turned over to the
tender judgment of some petty Justice or
other judicial officer The penalty for vio-
lating any provision in this omnibus bill
of selfish and mischievous expedients, is that
presented by section 1910 of the Code The
culprit may be fined $1,000, or put for
twelve months on the chain-gang. Now Mr..
Editor, to gather from the natural beds be-
low the riparian rights of land owners, has
been right of immemorial antiquity in
Georgia, and it would be very unwise if not
positively inhuman, to abolish or limit il
now. Thousands Of honest toilers along our
seaboard are sustained through the enjoy
ment of this right. The passage of this bill
would deprive them of their only means
Tor livelihood, and render them a
community of paupers. These people are
useful TO the commonwealth. They gather
oysters in all kinds of weather and bring
them 10 our doors fresh and sweet, and they
spend what money they gain at home among
our own storekeepers. II enables the do
nestle oyster dealer 20 supply, at a reason
able figure, oysters 10 our neighbors up
country. We have no need of more legisla-
ton on the subjects those now on our stat
ute books are amply protective and reason
able. We want no law which would enable
few selfish lando wners b. appropriate the
whole oyster domain OF Georgia. We want
no such monopoly. JUSTICE.